How long will the noodles last?

You can keep these in the fridge for 3 days, in a sealed container. It's a great make-ahead meal.

Can I use another type of noodle for this?

Udon would be a good alternative to the soba noodles here and they'll last for the same amount of time in the fridge. You could even use spaghetti to make this if you like.

Would you serve this as a main meal?

I think the salad is hearty enough by itself, especially for lunch. But if you do want to bulk it out, it pairs well with salmon (try miso grilled salmon ) or chicken (take a look at sticky gochujang chicken or miso chicken ). It would also be delicious with sweet chilli glazed halloumi .

What else could I add to the salad?

This is a really customisable recipe. You could use asparagus, spring onion, cauliflower, green beans, edamame, broad beans, peas, spinach, red peppers, onion... All of those would be delicious in this, so you can definitely improvise based on what you have in your fridge or freezer.

Saucy Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Name: Saucy Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 200g/7oz dried soba noodles; 100g/3.5oz tender stem broccoli (or use regular broccoli); 1 cucumber; 1 garlic clove; 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce); 2 tablespoons chilli oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 scallions (spring onions), chopped finely; 1/4 cup tahini (or use unsweetened peanut butter); 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari to make it vegan); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar); 1 tablespoon sweet chilli jam; 1 tablespoon chilli oil; 2 garlic cloves; 1″ piece of fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds; 1 scallion (spring onion), thinly sliced lengthways and put in a glass of water to curl up

Description

In just 15 minutes, you could be enjoying this DELICIOUS super saucy sesame soba noodle salad. It’s a favourite for busy weeknights and meal prep and is easy to adapt to whatever you have in the fridge. Plus, it’s gluten-free and vegan.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the salad –

200g/7oz dried soba noodles
100g/3.5oz tender stem broccoli (or use regular broccoli)
1 cucumber
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons chilli oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scallions (spring onions), chopped finely

For the sauce –

1/4 cup tahini (or use unsweetened peanut butter)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari to make it vegan)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon sweet chilli jam
1 tablespoon chilli oil
2 garlic cloves
1” piece of fresh ginger

To garnish –

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 scallion (spring onion), thinly sliced lengthways and put in a glass of water to curl up

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Instructions

Make the smacked cucumber. Chop the ends off the cucumber and lay it out on a flat surface. Using a rolling pin, whack the cucumber, moving up and down until it cracks. Slice in half lengthways, then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Slice into long strips, then dice into small cubes. Transfer to a mixing bowl along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of chilli oil, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Using a microplane (or garlic press) grate or crush the garlic clove directly into the bowl. Mix the cucumber through the sauce and then set aside.
Cook the noodles. Often soba noodles can be sticky or gummy once cooked. The trick to avoiding this is to rinse and squeeze them in a bowl of cold water after cooking. This removes the excess starch and will stop them from sticking together. Get a pot of water over a high heat on the stovetop and bring to the boil. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions (probably for 5 minutes). While they’re cooking, prepare a bowl of cold water. After 5 minutes, drain the noodles in a colander, then plunge into the cold water. With your hands, give them a good scrunch for 30 seconds, then drain again. Repeat the cold water squeezing one more time, then drain in the colander again and set aside for any excess water to drain out.
Blanch the broccolini. Get the broccolini in a large, heatproof bowl along with 2 teaspoons of salt. Boil your kettle, then pour the boiled water into the bowl so that the broccolini is covered. Leave for 3 minutes, then drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Make the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup tahini, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon chilli oil, 1 tablespoon chilli jam and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds. Using a microplane or fine side of a grater, grate in the 2 garlic cloves and ginger. Mix the sauce vigorously with a fork.
Mix the noodles. Add the drained soba noodles to the mixing bowl with the sauce, along with the smacked cucumber, broccolini and 2 chopped scallions. Toss everything together really well to make sure the noodles are coated in the sauce. Divide between plates, top with more toasted sesame seeds and the curly scallions.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This is a great make-ahead salad. You can assemble the whole thing and then store it in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It will last well for 4 days.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This is a meal in itself, but you can bulk it out with some sticky gochujang chicken or miso salmon. Adding sweet chilli glazed halloumi slices on top would also be delicious.

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have soba noodles, udon is a great alternative. Play around with your veggies – green beans, edamame, peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini or asparagus are great additions.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 5
Category: salads
Method: stove top
Cuisine: asian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 350g
Calories: 560
Sugar: 5.7g
Sodium: 1912mg
Fat: 28.1g
Saturated Fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 65.9g
Fiber: 3.8g
Protein: 16.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: buckwheat noodles, cold noodle salad